Muted Criticism

Contrary to expectations Harvard University President Drew Faust did not use the occasion of the university's ROTC commissioning ceremony to criticize the Congressional “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law, which bars openly lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans from military service.

According to the Harvard Crimson, U.S. News & World Report, and others, Faust's speech made only the slightest allusion to the controversy surrounding the ban. "I wish that there were more of you," Faust told the five cadets and about 100 spectators. "I believe that every Harvard student should have the opportunity to serve in the military, as you do, and as those honored in the past have done."

Faust’s speech came as a surprise to many students who believed the university president would use the occasion to condemn the Congressional law and call for more inclusive policies towards lesbians, gays and bisexuals. Her sharp criticism of the ban in the past has drawn considerable fire, including an op-ed column last month in the Wall Street Journal.

A group of Harvard students recently made national headlines by staging protests at armed forces recruitment centers in Maine, Connecticut, and New York highlighting the need for repeal of the law.

-Victor Maldonado